


New

by WhiskerTeeth



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Age Difference, Age Regression/De-Aging, Allergies, Alternate Universe, Baby Dan, Caring, Cat/Human Hybrids, Crying, Dan Howell/Phil Lester - Freeform, Dan Howell/Phil Lester Drabble, Diapers, Domestic Dan Howell/Phil Lester, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrid Dan, Hybrids, Multi, Mute Dan Howell, Non-Sexual Age Play, Other, Parent Phil, Sick Character, Sickfic, Sub Dan Howell, YouTube, dad phil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-10-05 15:38:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10311482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiskerTeeth/pseuds/WhiskerTeeth
Summary: Phil has always loved caring for people. This is what makes him decide to adopt a hybrid companion to have as his very own.Dan is a bit of a handful.This is a journey full of love and awkward situations.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! New fic. Not sure on the update schedule. Just a warning: I am not British and I will not pretend to be. Any constructive criticism on this fic for accuracy or grammar will be taken happily. Please enjoy!

Phil never liked being alone. Ever since he was a child, loneliness crept up on him like a shadowed figure in the night. He always had a few close friends here and there, but never had the companionship that he longed for. Phil was always a mother hen. He strived to care for anybody and everybody who needed help. This is why, at the young age of 20, he decided to adopt a companion. 

Companions have been around for about a hundred years. Depicting animal-like traits on human bodies with varying levels of intelligence, maturity, and physical abilities, companions have become exceedingly popular in the 21st century. Just about any human/animal hybrid is possible to achieve, and with new age medicine, the personality possibilities are endless. Most commonly, companions are adopted as romantic partners or pets. In the case of a romantic partner, companions are raised, trained, and medicated in order for them to be at top physical and mental performance. In the case of pets, physical strength may be given, while intelligence may be lessened significantly. 

There is however, a third option for companions. Some companions are adopted to be raised as children. This is very common for adults who are wanting to start a family or maybe for parents whose children have grown older and have left the house. These companions can be quite popular, because unlike human children, they do not age much mentally. Because of their mild physical abilities and limited mental capacity, the most common age range is between 1-5 for a hybrid companions mind to develop. This means from the time they are an adoptable age at 16, they may be a 1 year old mentally, but by the time they turn 60 they may have only aged to be about 5 years old developmentally. There are different age ranges to pick from and they vary depending on what the buyer wants. Some may begin at 5 and end at 15, others may stagnate at age 10. However, with the way the companion market has expanded, one can find just about anything they desire in a partner.

Phil always knew he loved taking care of people. He always wanted to be a dad or at least a big brother figure to someone. This is why after saving his earnings for the last few years, he has decided to adopt a child companion. While not entirely sure on the age range, he knows that he wants more than anything for someone to depend on him. 

Even though most of his friends and family have urged him against it, Phil knows what's right for him. With a small bag of items packed, paperwork in hand, and a car seat hooked up in the backseat of his vehicle, he makes the short trip to the nearest adoption agency in central London. 

\---

Upon his arrival, Phil could feel his palms begin to sweat as he tried his hardest not to crush his small stack of paperwork that took him hours to complete. Before this, Phil had to go through 3 interviews, a background check, and a home inspection. All that is left now, is for him to turn in his final papers, and adopt his companion. 

"Hello! How may I help you today?"

"Erm... hi, yes. Uh, I'm Phil, I had an appointment this morning. 10 o'clock? I have my final papers and I'm supposed to adopt today."

"Hmmmmm.... oh! Yes, I have you right here sweetheart! Go ahead and have a seat. I'm going to just look over your documents and update your file on the computer. Once everything is good to go, someone is going to call for you at that door so that you can take a tour and meet all of our little lovelies."

Phil couldn't help but smile at the woman's cheerful disposition. He bet it must be wonderful to work at such an amazing place such as this. 

Taking his seat on a corner chair, Phil looks around the room. There are lots of pictures of owners and companions on the wall. Probably all from this agency. There are pamphlets on a small rack with information on how to care for your companion. Phil grabs a couple and folds them into his pocket, even though he has bought and read tons of books on the topic at this point. After a few minutes of anxious waiting, he decides to text his friend. 

-PJ I'm dying. I feel like I've been waiting for hours.-

He waits a couple moments before he feels a short vibration.

-Chill mate! Once you actually get in there it goes so fast. I swear!-

He chuckles. 

-Yeah I suppose. I'm scared none of them will like me.-

...  
...  
...

No response.

Phil sighs. He knows his friend is at work and probably has much better things to do besides helping his friend through a minor crisis. But PJ is the only friend he knows who has adopted a companion, so of course he's going to be looking to him for support. Ever since he adopted Zoe last year, his life really took a turn and he's seemed so much happier. Phil couldn't help but envy him a little whenever he would talk about his companion. But it was his chance to experience that happiness for himself now, and he was going to try to make the most of every moment. 

Even the waiting. 

He messes around on his phone for a bit. Reading some BBC articles and taking some BuzzFeed quizzes, before he hears his name called from across the room. 

"Phil Lester?"

He hops up immediately, a bit startled.

"Y-yes! That's me."

The handsome young man gestures for him to follow him through the door and Phil can feel his heart race. 

One he goes through the doors, he is in a small room where the lights are blinding and the walls are all a bright white. The man stops in front of him and looks at him intensely. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Tom. Before we go into the main building, we have to go over some rules. First of all, no pictures. Before our companions are adopted, we are all about privacy here, and we don't want any unwanted information leaked onto the internet. Is that clear?"

"Oh, yes. Not a problem."

The man gave him a cautious look, all friendliness from before gone.

"Alright, next, no touching any companion unless they touch you first, or you ask my permission. There are some companions who are more sensitive or have special emotional needs, so the last thing we want is to disturb them. Also, do not feed anyone anything. Do you have any food on you?"

"What? No. Nothing of the sort."

"Good. Lastly, no yelling. I'm sure that won't be a problem for you."

"No yelling. Got it."

He nods.

"Right, now before we go in, do you have any questions for me?" 

"Uhm, no. None at the moment."

The mans smile returns. 

"Excellent! Now just sanitize your hands with the pump on the wall there, and follow me!"

Phill nods and pumps some sanitizer onto his hands and rubs it in before following Tom into the main building. 

The light is much less intense as they are walking through a corridor with glass windows on either side. 

"Now, I understand you are looking for a child companion, yes?"

"Yes that's right. I'm not quite certain on my age range though."

"That's not a problem. You'll know the right companion when you see them. Right this way."

Phil follows Tom to the right and he opens another set of doors that leads to a space that looks quite like... a home.

There is a large living area with couches and companions of all different shapes, sizes, and breeds lounging around. There was a play area where there were companions building Lego towers, and a large dining room table where some companions were coloring and others were eating a snack of grapes and carrots. 

There was a giant open area with sleeping matts littered about, and a few other rooms that Phil couldn't quite yet decipher from his current position. 

"Wow. I... didn't think it would be like this."

"Haha, yeah, most people tend to think we keep them locked up in cages or small rooms, but that's far from the truth. Keeping them in a home-like environment surrounded by other companions helps with their training, development, and social skills. This isn't always true for other kinds of companions. But we keep it social for the kiddos. It's a bit like a day care."

Phil looks around at all the companions, and can't help but want to squeeze every one. He notices that there are a few women around in nurse uniforms and he figures that these are the caregivers.

He wanders toward the table where children are drawing and he is instantly drawn to a little blonde girl with white rabbit ears. 

"Hi!!" She yells.

"Well hello there. What are you drawing?"

Tom gives him a warning glance, but for the most part keeps his distance. 

"Doggy!" She giggles.

"That's a really nice doggie. What's your name?"

"Day!"

Phil makes his eyes go wide in an exaggerated way and smiles. 

"What a beautiful name!"

She nods at him and smiles, but continues to color. Phil decides to give her some space. 

Tom meets him half way and begins to explain. 

"That's Day. She is a rabbit hybrid and is 19 years old with a 4-12 age range. Totally a sweetheart. What do you think?" 

Phil already felt like he was in love, but he knew that he should walk around and give the others a chance before he settled. 

"She is just darling. I really like her, but I think I would like to look around a little more."

"Not a problem. I'll be right here if you need anything. Feel free to wander, just don't go through any of the doors without asking me."

Phil nods before turning to look at some boys wrestling on a mat a few feet over. One looked to be a mouse, and the other a very exotic looking zebra type if he weren't mistaken. He tried to get their attention, but they didn't pay him much mind as they were having too much fun playing with each other. Phil walks around a bit and sees a few kids taking naps on the mats in the corner of the room. He gravitated toward a young brown haired girl with dog ears and watched her sleep a few moments before moving to the living room area where kids were laying on the couches and playing on the floor. Some obnoxious children's program was on, but he ignored it in favor of all of the cute little companions gathered around.

As he was glancing around he felt the world stop as his eyes laid on a young brown haired boy with cat ears laying on the corner of the couch. He was wearing an oversized black shirt with no pants as indicated by an expanse of soft milky legs tucked up in front of him. He was watching the TV with half lidded eyes, looking as though he were to doze off at any moment, a purple pacifier bobbing lazily at his lips. 

He was adorable. He had to get closer. As he moved through the sea of children to get closer to the corner of the couch, the companion looked up at him in curiosity.

Phil couldn't help but let out a small gasp as the companion looked up at him through his lashes with the sweetest, sleepy brown eyes he had ever seen. Now that he was closer he could see that the cat companion was holding a large stuffed dog on his lap, and was squeezing one of its paws in a death grip.

Phil kneeled down close to the couch so he could be at eye level with the boy. 

"Hello there. My name is Phil. What's your-"

"Nngh!" He whined. 

Before Phil could say much else, the companion backed up from him a bit, and tears began to gather in his eyes.

"No, no, wait! Don't cry!"

But it was already too late. Before Phil could utter another word, the pacifier dropped from the brown haired companions mouth and he let out a loud wail before bursting into tears. 

"Ahhh!!!!"

"Hold on! Please! You're going to get me in trouble!"

It was no use. Fat crocodile tears were falling from the companions now reddened face at an alarming rate and the children around him began to get a bit fussy as well. Some of them even left, disturbed by the noise.

 

Phil looks to Tom who is luckily conversing with a pretty young nurse and seems too distracted to have noticed Phil's major fuck up. 

Turning his attention back to the boy, Phil lets all his instincts take over as he picks up the dropped pacifier and shoves it back into the companions mouth a bit roughly and picks him up to hold him on his hip, stuffed doggy and all. 

The crying stops abruptly. Most likely the companion is shocked by the movement, but he doesn't protest. He's still whining and hiccuping softly as Phil rocks him up and down and soothes his hands through the companions hair.

"Sshhh, sshhh. That's it. You're just upset because you're tired, hm? I disturbed you just as you were falling asleep, but that's no reason to cause such a scene. Sshhh..."

He was right. The companion was tired. And as Phil rocked him on his hip slowly by the television, the tears tapered off and the companions head plopped heavily onto Phils shoulder and his breathing evened out.

After just a couple minutes he could tell the hybrid was asleep. 

Once he thought it was safe. Phil stopped his movements and took a moment to glance down at the beautiful little companion he was holding. Tear tracks still marked his face, but other than that, the boy was perfection. His eyes were shut peacefully as his pacifier was sucked with gentle movements. As Phil's hand was holding the companions bottom for support, he could now tell that he was wearing either a diaper or a pull-up, so he knew this hybrid companion had to be fairly young. As Phil's breath tickled the top of the companions head, chocolate brown cat ears twitched a bit in irritation, and Phil could feel what he thought to be a tail hit his legs in a lazy repeated motion. 

Just as he was getting lost in own little world, Tom decided to walk up. 

"Wow, look at you! No one manages to hold Dan like that. He's quite the fussy one. Always crying about something. How did you manage it?"

"Ah well, I think I may have disturbed his relaxation time and he got a bit upset so I rocked him awhile and it seemed to do the trick. Tell me about him. His name is Dan you said?"

Tom glanced at the companion in his arms and smiled a bit before he answered.

Yes, this little one is Daniel. He's always getting himself into trouble without really meaning to and he's quite the handful. 16 years old, cat hybrid, very limited development, which not a lot of people are into. His range is about 1-5. While he's at about a 1 and a half right now, maybe two, he can't speak. Normally companions are speaking at least a few words strung together by now, but we've gotten nothing out of him. He's been to the doctor a few times because they are afraid it could be an anomaly with his development but they aren't sure. This is something that has held a few couples back, along with his dietary needs. 

"Dietary needs?"

"Oh, yeah. Danny here is like deathly allergic to certain stuff. I can't remember off the top of my head, but if you were interested in him, all of that information would be in his file and discussed  
in your adoption meeting."

Phil nods, taking in all the information at once, rubbing small circles into the companions back. 

"Well, are you?"

Phil looks up, a bit confused. 

"Am I what?"

Tom glances at Dan and then back at Phil. 

"You know. Interested. In Dan. Adopting him." 

This was it. What Phil has been waiting for all these years. He looks down at Dan again and nuzzles his nose into the top of his head, smelling a sweet coconut shampoo and a scent that is distinctly child-like. He looks up at Tom and smiles confidently. 

"Yes. He's the one."

Tom gives him the biggest grin yet, and gestures for Phil to follow him.

"Excellent! I'm glad this little guy is going to get a home! Dan is going to be dropped off in one of our medical rooms down the hall where he is going to be given a final set of shots, a chip with your information and ours embedded just under the skin, and a collar. While he's taken care of, you're going to be in a room with me and you are going to be briefed on everything in Dans file. Lastly, you'll sign one last form before he's all yours. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great."

While he was excited about it all, he didn't want to let Dan go. Especially since he knows that he is going to be getting all of those nasty shots and will probably be quite loud and upset after the fact. 

They went through some doors out of the child center and were back in another corridor full of windows. They stopped at a door by the end of the hall and went in to be greeted by an older female doctor that looked to be in her sixties.

"Oh! It's Daniel! Good luck with this one, lad. He's a bit of a handful!"

Phil rolled his eyes a bit. 

"So I've been told."

"Right-o. I'll just take him from you now while you get everything wrapped up, and by the time you two are done, Dan will be ready for you to take home!"

She held her arms out to take Dan and Phil reluctantly relinquished his grip on the boy to transfer him over. As he was jostled, Dan opened his eyes and looked around, and began to fuss a bit, panicking at the change of scenery. 

Phil's heart broke as Dans breaths got quick and began to hitch as he was set on the cold examination table. 

"Alrighty Phil, lets go."

Phil brought his attention back to Tom and nodded, following behind him out the door just as he heard the first sob leave Dans lips. 

God. 

He was already wrapped around his finger. 

Phil was completely lost in his own head, and before he knew it he was sitting in an office-like room full of filing cabinets and a large wooden desk. 

Tom went to one of the filing cabinets and pulled out a modestly thick file with the name 'Howell, Daniel' written on the tab in thick marker.

"Here we are, let's get started."

Tom opened the file and began with most of the information that Phil had already heard in the living area before moving onto the more important information. 

"Now, Dan has some severe allergies that you need to be aware of. Are you prepared to handle his dietary needs with care and take him to his monthly allergen appointments for as long as they are needed?"

"Yes. And I know how to use an epi pen if that helps. What is he allergic to?"

"That's great, you'll definitely need to know how to use one. Dan is allergic to peanuts, shellfish, tomatoes, and strawberries." 

"Wow. That's quite a list."

"And it must be ensured that you are aware of these at all times. If Dan so much as touches a peanut butter cookie, he could go into anaphylactic shock. That means that as his caretaker, it would be safer for you to not indulge in foods with any of these ingredients in them for Dans safely."

"That won't be a problem for me. Anything for Dan."  
Toms serious face softens up at Phil's response.

"Right. I've got his doctors card in here. You'll need to call them to make his monthly appointments and switch his insurance onto yours. As for his general care physician, we leave that up to you to make appointments for check ups or sickness as necessary. It's just mandatory that we try to keep our companions with the same specialist until they can be transferred properly to someone else of your choice."

"Sure. That's understandable."

"Now Dan is just a baby mentally. While he is 16 physically, you need to understand his limitations and his needs. You cannot push him mentally or physically. And of course, any kind of punishment that isn't light can be taken as abuse. I'm sure you are familiar with the law?"

"Of course! I would never do anything to hurt Dan!"

"I'm sure, Mr. Lester. I do have to go over everything though."

"Y-yes. Sorry about that."

"No problem, it happens all the time. Now Dan is not potty trained, but he may be able to depending on his development in the next year. He needs to have a bed with a gate on the side, or a crib so that he does not hurt himself, and he needs to have a car seat in any vehicle he enters, including the one he will be leaving in today. Has that been taken care of?"

"Yes, it's all ready." Phill smiles proudly. 

"Okay, Mr. Lester. I'm sure that Dan is ready in the next room. So if you would please sign and date your final form. Daniel Howell is officially Daniel Lester. 

At the name, Phil was absolutely beaming. With shaking hands he signs and dates on the dotted line and stands proudly to shake Toms hand. 

"You ready to take him home?"

"More than anything."

"Let's go get him, then!"

As soon as they open the door to the hallway, Phil could hear screams coming from the medical room where Dan was dropped off. Phil's heart sank with guilt. Dan was probably going to hate him a bit now, for leaving him with the doctor giving all the shots. 

As they opened the door, Phil was met with quite the scene. Popsicle sticks and stickers littered the ground, Dans flailing arms were covered in rainbow band aids, and the front of his shirt to his lap was covered in vomit as he continued sobbing and screaming loudly for the world to hear. 

"Jesus Christ Marie, what happened?!"  
Tom went over to where the doctor was trying but failing to get Dans shirt over his head without making the mess worse. 

"Dan happened, that's what! Got so worked up he made himself sick and started knocking things over!"

Phil watched the scene from the doorway, not quite knowing how to help without just getting in the way. 

After a couple of minutes, they managed to get Dan wiped down and into a new shirt, but Phil just knew there was probably lingering sick everywhere and that he would definitely need a bath when they got home. 

Home.

Dan was his now. 

Phil walked up to the table where Dan was still crying pitifully. 

"Hey buddy, you're okay now. What happened huh? Where's your pacifier and doggy?"

Dan looked up at him with watery eyes and held his arms at him in an 'up' gesture as he continued to sniffle. 

Phil's heart melted.

He looked at the doctor for approval, who nodded before Phil picked Dan up into his arms again and started rocking him. He walked him to the little desk on the edge of the room where he saw his pacifier and popped it back into Dans mouth before handing him his stuffed puppy to hold onto. Dan held onto his dog and sucked hard and fast on his pacifier while nuzzling his face into Phil's shoulder, getting tears and snot all over his shirt in the process. Not that Phil minded. 

"Well look at that! Dan actually likes someone for a change."

Phil looked up at the doctor with a sparkle in his eyes before looking back down at Dan whose tears were beginning to slow. 

"Hey baby boy. Are you ready to go home now?"

Dan didn't respond, but cuddled into Phil further which was enough for him. 

"Well, Mr. Lester, this file is all yours and you are good to go. The exit out is on the left. Congratulations!"

Tom and the doctor walked with him half way to the exit and waved at him as he left. 

As Phil walked out into the cool London air, he had a thought. 

'Holy shit, I'm a parent.'  
He stopped walking and looked down at Dan, clutching him a bit tighter as he was playing with Phil's shirt collar. 

'I have a child now.' 

He looked back up and kept walking to his car, where he barely managed to open the door and set Dan up in his car seat for the first time. 

He walked back around to the drivers seat, turned the car on, and looked at Dan in his rear view mirror. 

"Christ, I'm a dad now..." he whispered to himself.

With his knuckles tight on the steering wheel, he began their journey home.


	2. Bananas and Bed Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan tries to adjust to his new home. Phil gets frustrated and they are both exhausted.

'He's beautiful' 

Phil is standing over a very sleepy Dan who was placed gently onto the couch only a few moments before. To Phil's pleasant surprise, Dan took to the car very well. While it could just be exhaustion, Dan was asleep in his car seat within minutes of their departure from the agency. Currently, Dan was curled up with his dog held to his chest. His deep sleep was indicated by his slow breathing and the way his mouth hung slightly ajar, pacifier looking like it may fall out at any moment.

Phil couldn't help but smile as his heart swelled at the sight. 

Since Dan was asleep. Phil took the opportunity to snap a couple of pictures to send to PJ and his mum. 

Once the messages were sent, Phil went about his work in the kitchen to clean out any and all foods that contained anything Dan was allergic to, which was quite a chore. Who knew that he would have to throw out half his pantry? 

A bit sweaty, Phil glanced into the living room to see that Dan was still asleep before sitting down at his dining room table to check his phone. 

/OMG PHIL! He's so cuuuute! When can we come over to visit?/

Phil laughed at PJ's antics before replying.

/Give me at least a couple days with him. He has a lot to get used to!/

A couple moments passed.

/Awww! But I'm impatient! Have you shopped for the rest of your stuff yet? I know you said you wanted to wait since you didn't know what you were looking for./

/No, Dan desperately needs clothes and diapers among other things. I have a couple things laying around that should last him awhile, but I really need to shop. I just feel like I don't want to completely shock him the first day./

/Sure, that's understandable. Well, good luck! LMK if you need anything! X/

Phil chuckled a bit and checked his other messages before putting his phone down. He really did need to go shopping, but with Dans ordeal today he figured it would be best to leave the shopping til tomorrow. He had a couple packs of diapers, formulas, and basic baby toys he got as gifts when he announced he would be adopting, so they would have to do for now. If there's one thing that Phil knew though, it was that Dans nap shouldn't last too long or he wouldn't sleep tonight. He did need to eat and have a bath after all. 

Phil took the opportunity to cut up a banana on a plate and fill a bottle with milk. He sets them on the table eats some banana himself before going to get Dan. 

Phil pads back to the living room. 

In his sleep Dan has sprawled across the couch in a funny position with his pacifier laying on the ground and thumb shoved into his mouth as a replacement. Phil winced a bit at this, knowing just how full of germs hands could be. He gently pulled the thumb out of Dans mouth and he gave a small whine before Phil shushed him. 

He picked Dan up and brought him to the dining room where he sat Dan up on his lap and rubbed his back to rouse him out of sleep. 

"Come on Danny. Let's wake up now and have a nice snack, hm?"

Dan let out a disapproving noise and tried to lean his bead back onto Phil's shoulder to resume his nap. 

Phil brought him back up.

"No, no. It's not sleepy time anymore. We need to fill that happy belly!"

"Aughgh!" Dan whined.

Phil continued to struggle to get Dan to sit upright before Dan decided he was done and wanted to make Phil aware of his frustrations.

"Waaaaahhhh!!!"

Dans voice was absolutely piercing in Phil's apartment. He couldn't help but think that his neighbors were probably shocked to hear such a sound. He would have to write them an apology note later. 

"Ssshhh, it's not so bad! Just a little banana!"

Dan continues to yell and struggle as tears began to track down his face.

Phil is so not cut out for this.

He lifts Dan and starts rocking him like he did back at the agency to calm him down, but to no effect. Dan continues sobbing loudly for the world to hear, coughing every once in awhile from the intensity of it all.

"Shhh, shhhh... you're going to make yourself sick again..."

Dan couldn't care less as he continued to cry and thrash. 

'Think Phil, think!"

His mind went back to Dans things in the living room and he immediately went to get his stuffed dog from the couch. 

"Look! Look who I have!"

Dan paused a moment to grab the dog from Phil, but still continued to cry pitifully onto Phil's chest, absolutely soaking the fabric. 

Phil looked around again and picked up the pacifier from the ground, wiping it off slightly. Although he wanted Dan to eat, he would do anything to calm Dan down for the moment. 

He placed the pacifier tentatively at Dans lips. Although he turned his head away the first couple of times, Phil finally managed to shove it in there. 

One the pacifier was in, Dan started to suck on it tentatively as he continued to sniffle and cry. He was still upset, but it was much quieter now. Small victories. Phil carried Dan back to the dining room table and resumed their previous position, with Phil running his hands through Dans hair. He got a napkin from the table and began to wipe the face disgruntled face of his companion. 

Dan had calmed down significantly, but was still squirming around and whining, trying to swat Phil's hands away petulantly. 

"There, there. What is it now? Not hungry?"

Dan gave him a whine and looked at him with watery eyes, letting out another sob. 

Phil took out the pacifier and tried to feed Dan some banana, but he was just as inconsolable as ever, another fresh round of tears making their way down his cheeks.

Phil was at a loss. If he were honest, he felt like crying too at this point. Was he just grumpy from sleepiness? Confused because of the change of scenery? That's when Phil had a thought.

Phil lifted the front of Dans shirt and shoved a couple of fingers in the front of Dans diaper to feel if it was damp. 

"Eureka!"

Dan looked up at him with wide eyes startled. 

Phil carried Dan off to his nursery and placed him on a large changing table on the left side of the room. 

"That's why you were so upset! You were wet and Daddy just wouldn't listen. Is that it? Is that why you were throwing a tantrum?"

Dan simply glanced around confusedly as Phil went to work removing his diaper and wiping him down. 

"I wish you could talk to me a little Dan. This situation could have been entirely avoided, hm?"

Phil knew that Dan had some sort of speech problem, but still. He swore he would take him in to the doctor when he had the opportunity to find out why Dan was behind in his speech development. Until then, it was a guessing game. 

Once freshly diapered, Phil picked Dan up and brought him back to the dining room for one final attempt. 

"There we go. How do you feel baby?"

Dan was looking at Phil expectantly now, sniffling slightly, but calm overall.

Phil picks up a slice of banana and holds it up to Dans mouth. Dan looks at it, and to Phil's surprise, with little prompting, eats the slice of banana from Phil's fingertips and chews thoughtfully. 

"Yes! Yummy, huh? Bananas are so good for you!"

Dan makes a small expectant noise and Phil feeds him another slice. After a few minutes, Dan finished almost the entire banana before turning his head to refuse any more. 

"Good boy! That wasn't so hard was it?"

Phil wiped his mouth before setting Dan back on his hip. Just as he was about to stick his thumb in his mouth, Phil shoves the bottle through Dans lips instead. Dan is confused at first, but gives in and eventually starts to suck, relaxing into Phil's arms. 

"There you are. Drink a bit, and then we are going to have a nice warm bath. I'm sure you're feeling so yucky after today."

Dan continues to distractedly drink from his bottle as he plays with Phil's hair and tugs on a few strands. 

"Ow! None of that or daddy is gonna be bald!"

Although Phil isn't sure Dan understood him, his companion gave a small giggle before going to poke at Phil's shirt buttons instead. 

Phil walks them over to the master bath and turns the water on, setting Dan on the toilet seat to let him finish his bottle. 

Phil goes to work gathering towels, bath toys, and soaps, occasionally checking the water to make sure it isn't too hot or cold. He squirts some bubble bath into the water and grins as he sees that Dan has taken notice of the bubbles and the toys. 

"Nnn?" 

Phil places a small kiss on Dans forehead before answering. 

"Yes darling. This is your bath. It's full of bubbles and toys. Do you want to play?"

Dan doesn't answer, still mesmerized by the bubbles. Phil tales that as a yes. 

"Right, let's get this shirt off of you. We need to buy you some better clothes at the store tomorrow, what do you think? We can't have you going around town with no pants!"

Phil tickled Dans stomach as he pulled the shirt above his head and Dan began to laugh excitedly. 

"Oh are you ticklish? Daddy will make sure to remember that for later!"

Phil took the half finished bottle and set it on the counter before finishing with Dans undressing. 

"Up you go!" 

Phil grabs Dan from beneath the armpits, and before Dan has the chance to protest, sets him gently in the tub. 

Dan's eyes widen at the sudden change, but just as Phil thought he was going to throw another fit, Dan smiles and picks up a ducky from the water. He splashes with it slightly before placing the head into his mouth to suck on. 

While Phil knows he shouldn't allow Dan to place everything in his mouth (there's some weening to do there), he can't help but be pleased with the surprising atmosphere of peace in the bathroom. Before Dan could overthink the situation, Phil sits on the edge of the tub, grabs a wash cloth, and begins to lather Dans body. 

The whole bath experience is an overall relaxing one for him and Dan as he washes away all of the days stresses and messes. Dan is pretty happy with the whole thing too, sucking on his duck and moving bubbles around with gentle splashes, giggling every now and then. After a good ten minute soak, Phil decided it was time for him to dry off. 

As he lifts Dan from the water, he starts to whine, but Phil is prepared for this as he wraps Dan in a towel quickly and gives Dan the pacifier he had been holding in his pocket. Distracted by his favorite soother, Dan allows Phil to dry him off more thoroughly, and he is carried to his changing table without complaint. There, he is quickly changed into a fresh diaper and Phil finds Dan one of his old shirts to sleep in for the night.

Phil carries Dan back to the living room where his doggy is waiting patiently for him on the couch. After a long stressful day, he decides the best thing for the both of them is to lay back together and relax by watching baking shows. 

Dan, now clean and reunited with his favorite puppy, lays pliantly in Phil's lap as he strokes his hair. After a day full of crying, shots, new people, and new experiences, he's all out of energy and he relaxes into Phil's touches. Sucking on his pacifier sleepily, he holds his dog to his chest and dozes on Phil's shoulder, enjoying the affection. 

After about an hour of crap programming, Phil feels like he may fall asleep at any moment himself. Turning off the television, he takes a moment to admire Dan. The weight he holds in his lap is unmistakable. A life partner. Someone to care for. His baby. Phil kisses the top of Dans head between his cat ears lovingly.

"Daddy loves you so much."

Dan continues to breathe undisturbed against Phil's chest.

"Let's get you to bed, hm? Busy day tomorrow."

With that, Phil gets up from the couch carefully, as not to disturb Dan, and carries him back up to the nursery. He sets Dan into the large crib carefully, placing a soft green blanket over him, making sure his dog is still held close. He then goes to work turning on the night light and baby monitor so he can keep track of his little one in the night. 

"There we are. Sweet dreams baby."

Phil gives Dan one last loving glance before stepping out of the room, leaving the door ajar. He then gets to his own nightly routine of showering, brushing, and changing, all the while listening in on Dan to make sure he is still asleep.

As Phil finally gets the opportunity to lay down in his own bed, he realizes just how exhausted he truly is. After everything he has been through today, he can't believe he hasn't suffered a mental breakdown. However, he can't help but smile fondly at the memories. He has a family and he will do anything to protect it. 

Phil turns to the side and turns off his bedside lamp before letting out one final sigh. Sleep would come easy for him tonight. He's definitely going to need it for his busy day tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots to come! Shopping, visitors, and more!

**Author's Note:**

> That was exhausting! What will happen when the boys get home?


End file.
